Some find more stable, predictable professions, like teaching. (Not that the practice of art and teaching are mutually exclusive.)

But an artist who can challenge himself or herself, frequently work through new ideas and change his or her creations over time is an artist who can stand the test of time.

G. Ray Kerciu of Laguna Beach is such an artist. A longtime art professor at Cal State Fullerton, he helped found the university’s art department in 1963 and started the printmaking department.

His art career stretches from the 1950s to today, from early abstract expressionist paintings to politically charged work, to carefully constructed, architectural wooden towers.

Through Saturday, Cal State Fullerton’s Begovich Gallery is presenting “G. Ray Kerciu: Radical Retrospective.” The well-spaced show features about 59 works, ranging from paintings and prints to sculptures in Masonite, glass and wood.

Besides the opening introduction and the section on Kerciu’s time in Mississippi, this exhibit is not bogged down with too much text. That frees the viewer to contemplate the pieces without too many concepts or distractions.

The show starts with “Homage to Brancusi,” a 1957 wood sculpture. I’ll be honest, it’s a fine study, but it’s no Constantin Brancusi. That’s why it will always be an homage.

A pair of steel sculptures from 1958 demonstrate Kerciu’s talent in that medium and experimentations with form.

The opening galleries contain abstract lithographs, colorful landscapes done in acrylic on Masonite, and some ocean-infused works, including a cool acrylic triptych done in 2007.

Some of the landscapes, such as an untitled acrylic on Masonite from 2008, remind me of New Mexico, which holds an important place in 20th century American painting.

One major achievement is the excellent “Grid Series” (2003), which consists of 20 square mini-paintings, each 17 inches by 17 inches. Most of these appear inspired by the Pacific Ocean, and a number contain portals that add dimensionality and reference Kerciu’s printmaking background. Here, the artist seems quite aware of the frame within the frame.

AN ARREST PUT HIM ON THE MAP

Kerciu gained widespread attention in the art world in 1963 with a solo exhibition at the University of Mississippi, or Ole Miss. While he was a young instructor at the university, he completed a series of paintings that depicted the Confederate flag surrounded by segregationist slogans that were being said by those around him.

Kerciu was arrested and charged with desecration of the Confederate flag and obscenity. His case was covered by The New York Times, Time magazine, ARTnews and many other publications.

As for as the evidence, “America the Beautiful,” a 1962 oil on paper, was one of the culprits, with racially charged words and phrases scrawled across the painting, which also features the Confederate flag prominently. A few of these words I cannot repeat in a family newspaper. Let’s just say those words start with the letter “n.”

“America the Beautiful” is in the collection of Howard University in Washington, D.C., and is not part of this retrospective. However, a decent color reproduction is included in this exhibit. As for the criminal case (brought on by a Mississippi law student), Kerciu was freed on bail, and the charges were later dropped.

G. Ray was one of the few 1960s artists working in the Pop style who was also addressing civil rights. Thus, he attracted a following. He had an opening at Martha Jackson Gallery in New York City, and many of the art world’s hotshots were reportedly there – Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, etc.

Kerciu’s “15 minutes of fame” in the ’60s are notable, but not as impressive as the passion infused in his paintings of the time, many of which are bold statements against racism and inequality.

The Mississippi section is complemented by a video from the University of Mississippi, which is produced in documentary fashion and includes plenty of first-person and second-person accounts of James Meredith and his historic entry as the first African American student at Ole Miss. The video is informative and interesting, but it does repeat itself quite a bit as you’re looking through the galleries.

FROM POLITICS TO ARCHITECTURE

“G. Ray Kerciu: Radical Retrospective” is a diverse show. It showcases the artist’s talents in a wide range of media, and many of the results are meditative and colorful.

The show gets political at times, too. Many of the paintings and prints from his 1960s “USA Series” combine photographic portraits with patriotic symbolism. Some carry slogans or loaded words, and others – when viewed through 21st-century eyes – are kind of nostalgic. You can see that Kerciu was kind of a Shepard Fairey of his day.

The architectural “Tower Series” at the end is pleasant and intriguing. The series consists of nice, clean wooden sculptures that are multidimensional. Some have shadows, depending on how the light hits them.

Each tower looks different and appears to change slightly depending on the viewer’s angle. One tall, untitled wood piece from 2012 looks like the skeleton of an obelisk. (Earlier in the show, we see the body, a full Masonite and wood obelisk with blue acrylic paint on it, more than 8 feet tall and appropriately titled “Big Obelisk,” 2008.)

The concept behind the Tower Series is actually pretty simple. The artist starts with one component, the straight line. He uses chopsticks, wood skewers and long, thin sticks bought from lumber yards as his building blocks. Then he adds them to each other, sometimes turning them around, and makes them reach higher until they fulfill a certain structure. This is Kerciu’s latest artistic phase, and the viewer can feel the cool calculation mixed with enthusiasm, as if the artist has been engaged in a formal architecture studio art class.

The Tower Series is a satisfying conclusion to “Radical Retrospective.” Kudos should go to the curators, Mike McGee and Concepción Rodriguez. They did a nice job spacing this show out, picking the right pieces and again, not providing too much text in the didactics to slow the viewer down.

If you ever get the chance to meet G. Ray, he is a character. Charming and still sharp as a tack. He turns 80 in October. But if you didn’t know, you might guess 15-20 years younger.

That youthful vigor comes through in this latest exhibition, which embodies an artist who’s not willing to settle for less, and not willing to rest.

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